Virtual Reality (VR)
In 2017 I was introduced to VR. It's a great way to add an extra dimension to storytelling; by immersing the viewer into it!In 2017 I was introduced to VR. It's a great way to add an extra dimension to storytelling; by immersing the viewer into it!
This VR work is based on the book Poseidon’s wake by science fiction writer Alastair Reynolds.
In this VR project I’m recreating my grandparent’s house, where they lived from 1945 on. Their house was filled with souvenirs from the United States. It was a treasure trove; a mid century style time capsule.
My grandparents lived in the same house from 1945 on, situated in a small village in the province of Frisia, Netherlands. When I was a kid, we would go visit my grandparents almost every weekend. I would sleep over regularly during school holidays.
My grandparent’s house was filled with souvenirs from the United States. One of my uncles emigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s as a farm labourer. He later set up his own farm on the east coast.
There was so much stuff in this house that I loved: old comic books, clothes my aunt wore when she was young, toys and old books. It really was a world unto itself.
Entering a room was stepping into a peculiar past, with its own atmosphere and rhythm.
Returning to this house can only be done in one’s mind. The house is empty, sold. My grandmother passed away. But the memories are still alive in my family. To recreate this on a virtual level is more than fitting. It’s there, but in an ethereal sense.